One of the most often asked question at the 2024 Omaha Health Expo was about ebikes. That isn't to surprising given the current age of the baby boomers who are retiring, aware that they need to keep moving if they don't want to turn to stone, and recall the fun they had on their bicycle during the Summer of Love.
I face the same questions when I retired. I loved to bike and had recently rekindled my love of biking. I initially hopped back on my childhood bike, a Schwinn Continental (circa 1976), and headed out realizing some time had passed and this was harder than I remembered. Then I rode with a friend who was riding a 49cm Trek Madone. She picked it up with her index finger and convinced me that my Schwinn was just heavy and I should go shopping. It was the best thing I did. A lighter weight Trek road bike and then a nice wider tire gravel bike kept me riding and enjoying the trip. My wife and I went out riding together frequently. I was still in my 50's and felt I could keep riding well into my 70's like this.
Fast forward to my 70's and my wife was experiencing some serious medical issues which kept her from riding with me any longer even though she wanted to. So, in 2015 I started to research ebikes for her. Although ebikes were introduced in the USA in 1990, they didn't become popular and readily available until 2020. So I found the available ebikes were Scandinavian or European and I found a company who would ship one to me. I assembled it pretty easily and gave it to her for her birthday in 2015 and it changed her life. She calls it her "Cloud" and she still rides it to this day.
I was glad to be riding with my pal again and never considered it "cheating" for her since I knew it was the difference between her riding - or not riding. But, 55-60 lbs. with a huge heavy battery mounted on the back rack and giant hub motor on the rear wheel and that bike was anything but a cloud. But every time she got on it she had a grin on her face ear to ear and floated up the trails as if she were on a cloud. I was now the one huffing and puffing as I tried to keep up with her.
Her bike was a Class 2 ebike. What is the ebike Class System? The electric bike class system is composed of 3 classes that determine certain features or characteristics of e-bikes. They also act as an answer to the uncertainty about whether e-bikes should be classified as bicycles or motorized vehicles. They are often used in individual state regulations for what types of e-bikes are allowed and what the top speed is capped at. It’s important to check your state laws to ensure that you’re meeting all regulations set in place.
Class 1 e-bikes are limited to a top speed of 20 miles per hour, in which the motor stops assisting. The e-bike also only works when the rider is pedaling. Usually, class 1 e-bikes are allowed on bike lanes and paths that are also shared with traditional bikes.
Class 2 ebikes. Whereas the motor in class 1 can only assist when pedaling, class 2 opens the opportunity of being throttle-assisted. This means that the throttles will work whether you’re pedaling or not. The speed is also 20 miles per hour, which is when the motor ceases to provide assistance.
Class 3 e-bikes hit an entire 8 mph higher than the first two, which means they can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour. These bikes must also have a speedometer and may or may not have a throttle but usually don't. Be sure to check the state’s laws on class 3 because this is where it gets limited.
As I said, I found myself like the greyhound chasing the bunny at the dog race track. Finally, I began to turn down her requests to go for a ride using hills, wind or anything I could as an excuse. I realized, though, this was not going to keep me active. Ebikes had started showing up in bike shops on a limited basis by then so I started walking in to bike shops kicking tires and test riding a few ebikes. (I wore sunglasses so nobody would see me though). The more I looked the more I realized that this was what I was going to have to do to keep myself motivated and moving and respect that my body mechanics were getting older as well.
So I sat down and made a list of my prime criteria if I was going to buy an ebike. My list had five points. (1) I want to buy from a local bike shop. I'll need service and the addition of a motor took it out of my wheelhouse. (2) It can't look like an ebike at first glance. I wasn't a fan of the large hub motor or the huge battery on the back. It was working fine for my wife but I was going to need something sleeker and lighter weight. (3) Weight, that became a prime criteria. I knew the motor and battery was going to add weight but I wanted to minimize that and have it all hidden within a sleek carbon frame to minimize weight. (4) I wanted to stay near a $2500 budget. That's what I paid for my wife's bike so that seemed reasonable. (5) It had to look cool!
I narrowed my choices down to two great looking light weight ebikes sold by major manufacturers with cutting edge technology - and they looked cool. Unfortunately they were both $3500 to $5000 over by budget limit. So I looked, considered and prayed. I knew I needed to make this decision because I was going to get no younger and I am not a "go to the gym" guy or "walk/run several miles" guy. I knew my bike was going to take me into my 90's. So I bit the bullet and sprung for the high-end Trek Domane+HP ebike at the time - and have never regretted that decision. It's cool and I named it The BatCycle.
The ebike market exploded exponentially in the 2019-2022 time frame with china flooding the market with bikes that do not meet the standards mentioned above, non-UL approved batteries and motors bringing stories of battery fires to the news, and other non-regulated tech allowing people to build or adjust their own ebikes that may not meet the class standards. In addition, traditional cyclists began to openly oppose the use of ebikes alongside traditional bikes making the market very confusing for some.
Let me just wrap up with this suggestion if you are considering or have thought about trying an ebike. My heart is stronger than ever, my legs are strong, my lungs stay exercised, and I am riding more than anytime in my life. I hang around with a great bunch of like-minded cyclists who gather statistics much better than mine which gives me something to chase always. I ride an average 3 times a week with over 50 miles a week all year long. I have ridden over 5000 miles on the ebike since I got the ebike in 2021 increasing miles each year even though I occasionally still ride my traditional bikes. Reasonable winds, mildly cold weather, or hills and gravel do not keep me from going out to ride. For me - these are all outstanding outcomes.
All of the rules of the road on your traditional bike still apply. Riding recklessly just because you have a motor is a formula for disaster and will cause government intervention and restrictive rules. We can all use the roadways and trails together if we do it with safety and respect for one another. Consider these points when looking at ebikes.
Prices for reputable ebikes will range from $1200 on up. Less if you buy big-box or mail order bike but you get what you pay for. You can also convert that old bike in the garage if you are handy for a bit less.
Safety is a big factor when you are flying down a hill at 25 mph with nothing but a helmet to protect you. Lights, great working hydraulic brakes are a must. Mirrors are a good feature. Locking and a display is great too. Look at available features you will want.
Battery and Motor will determine your distance on a charge. You can always pedal when the battery runs out but your are pedaling a heavier bike. Besides the wattage of the motor and the power storage size of the battery the rider weight (gear and bike), terrain (hills, gravel), weather conditions (wind, heat or cold), age of the battery all will impact your distance on one charge. Research this - they generally range from 20 to 100 miles on a charge.
Not sure where to start? The biking advocacy group People For Bikes recently released their safety education program, Ebike Smart, which they created in collaboration with the League of American Bicyclists. Go to a bike shop and ask to test ride a bike that would be right for you. Do your research - I assure you, you won't regret making this change in your life. And keep riding with the great people in the Bellevue Bike Club.